Though Chirrut deeply believes in the reality of the Force and respects the former Jedi Order, he knows no one could ever hold a monopoly on understanding the cosmic energy field. Unlike the late departed Jedi, the teachings of the Guardians of the Whills do not emphasize the discord between lightness and darkness. The Guardians believe their approach allows mortal minds to encompass the totality of the Force. Thanks to Saw Gerrara's rebels, an increased Imperial presence on Jedha has made it difficult for Chirrut Imwe to share and pass on the teachings of the Guardians of Whills.

Some call it luck, but to Chirrut Imwe, all is as the Force wills it. His unwavering belief in the Force has a way of manifesting into a form of cosmic intervention that keeps him safe from harm and allows him to accomplish feats that should be impossible to pull off. Despite his blindness he has managed to aim his lightbow at a passing TIE Fighter and timed his shot just right so that the wounded starfighter crashed into an enemy bunker to take out the sentries. He has also been known to wade through volleys of trained blaster fire without registering so much as a scratch.

While many speculate on Chirrut being a Force-wielding Jedi, his connection is more spiritual in nature, with faith defining his every action. Chirrut Imwe is still made of flesh and blood, and he is just as exposed to enemy weaponry as anyone else.

Chirrut Imwe shares a homeworld and history with Baze Malbus, though they strike a compelling contrast. While Baze is a hardened pragmatist, Chirrut's faith flourishes even in trying times. They both claim to act as the protector of the other, and their bond is strong as two of the only remaining Guardians of the Whills. Chirrut trusts and relies on Baze for both his physical sight and experience as a Weapons Specialist, and without his fellow Guardian his blindness would become more of a crutch.

Chirrut Imwe is from a near-extinct order, the Guardians of the Whills, which is devoted to protecting the Temple of the Kyber in the Holy City of Jedha. An ancient order, its origins are lost to time and inextricably woven into the legends of the Jedi Knights. Some believers insist the Jedi drew inspiration from the followers of Jedha, while historians surmise it is likely the opposite. Whatever the truth, it all a matter of deepest faith to Chirrut.

Chirrut Imwe is a practitioner of zama-shiwo, a Jehda martial art also known as "the inward eye of the outward hand" and draws from Whiptree and Echani. It involves perfection of physical awareness—conscious accounting of a body's placement, contact, and internal functions. Despite his blindness, Chirrut has adapted a mental discipline that filters the most crucial information from his remaining senses, and a keen control of his body that allows him to move with precision through his imagined surroundings. He compliments this with a mastery of his unique wooden staff. The crystal containment lamp on the tip allows Churriut to better gauge where the end of the staff is, as he can hear both the battery and crystal harmonic thanks to the echo box he wears.

For all his ability as a masterful melee fighter, Chirrut Imwe is still blind and can be overwhelmed by a line of prepared, blaster-wielding soldiers.

Chirrut Imwe does not speak of how he became blind, but the effect is irreversible. While this limits his physical ability to see his surroundings, it also helps to lure enemies into thinking him a harmless local. Chirrut will take full advantage of being underestimated and uses his keen awareness of his immediate surroundings to do things like leverage an enemy trooper as a meat-shield against incoming blaster fire. Chirrut Imwe also tends to taunt his foes in the heat of battle. This mild arrogance can easily work against him when enemies realize the threat he poses and take him seriously, however.